The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-04-23

| its shareholders of the amount due to
| its customers, but also Of the total
amountoperated through their accounts.
There were 1852 current accounts open
at Paris and The branches, with a sum
of Ell ,724, 900 standing to their credit
at the end of the year. Omitting the
balances due to the treasury. the fiuc-
tuations of the total balance due on
these accounts are given as regards
their limits. On the 10th of April, 1885,
the maximum amount due by the bank
was ego, 304, 900; and the minimum
amount ON the 2Sth of February was
f11,556, 0O0-being a difference of e.
74S,000. The total operations in the
year amounted to E492, 983. 92-being
less than the operations of 1884 by
ESQ, 658. 100. The returns from the
clearinghouse in London have revealed
the same features. While the volume
of trade as a whole has not diminished,
the money values have shown per-
ceptible decrease. These effects are due
to the fall in prices in France no less
than in England. We feel curious to
know whether the operations of the
Bank of England would excel those of
its sister bank. Out of the total opera
tons already gwen, f226. 755,520 are
accounted for by the operations con-
Quoted gratuitously for the public treas
ury.
The report congratulates the share
holders on the increase Of the metallic
reserves in two years of f12. 000, 600, of
which the greater part was gold. This
is not to be wondered at, seeing that
silver has fallen in value so rapidly and
to so great an extent. When silver
was worth five shillings an ounce.
the holding of the Bank of France was
no anxiety; but now that silver has
fallen to three shillings and ninepence
an ounce, the amount of its metallic
reserve in silver is not worth SO much
by about one-fourth as the sum stated
Thus, out Of fS9, 1852, 600 gold and silver
held by the bank, little less than half
| (f4S. S44, OO0) was in silver Deducting
one-fourth, the value of the silver may
be put at about fSS, 900, 900.
There is nothing more curious in the
whole statement than the particulars of
the commercial bills and ''paper'' dis
counted. The amount reached ESQ.,
004, 1868 made up by 11,660.589 bills;
making an average Of fS2 for the bills.
with an average of nearly 50 days to
run. The large number of l03. 664 bills,
for e., 588, 1924, were refused discount
large portion on account Of irregular
tiles Of form, and the remainder for
want of confidence. In Paris, alone,
5,017, 904 bills, amounting to E158, $780,
1872, were admitted to discount; of these,
Ia, lO6 bills were Of the amount Of IS.
4d. and below; $50, $50 were from IS.
I'd. to e.; s19,753 were from f2. 0s.
10d. to "a; and 8. 427, 065 were above "a.
These figures are an indication Of the
trade habits of our neighbors, and show
the services rendered to the retail trade
by the chief bank. An idea of the inn
mense quantity Of work connected with
these small bills, payable chiefly at the
residences of the drawees, can be gath
cred from a paragraph in the statement
giving an account Of the days work on
the 3lst of October. the heaviest for the
year. 1t included the manipulation of
1927 bills, representing the sum of
"a, $50, 769-to receive which, applica-
ton had to be made at SO, 707 dwellings,
Theexpense of a large STATIC collecting
clerks and others to perform these
duties adds very large proportionate
cost to these documents in addition to
the discount. 5
The bank makes advances ON public
securities, railway securities. and other
securities The maximum amount at
Paris was en- the 18th Of January,
and reached &c, sos. OOO-the minimum
on the 25th of March, reaching f5,348.-
600. At the branches the maximum oc-
CURED on the 18th Of July. and was
f6,152, 900. The minimum was very
nearly concident with the minimum at
Paris, occurring on the 9th of March,
and amounting to f5,596, 900. The total
operations in advances amounted to
ELS. 05S.S04 $3.50
The note circulation is gwen in am
plified detail, the statement showing the
numbered notes in circulation with their
denomination, the numbers issued, can
celled. destroyed, and Withdrawn during
the wear On the oath If J,.uuarv 19Q6